The month of April had a bit of a mixed bag for Thornton. While we saw temperatures above normal and snowfall below normal, precipitation actually ended up right near Denver’s long term average.
We started out cool on the first day of the month, warmed up for two days, then were delivered our first snowfall of the month on the fourth day. From there we saw a string of above normal temperatures, some far above, that lasted almost uninterrupted for two weeks.
Some rain finally fell for the three days beginning the 20th and temperatures cooled a bit. Then, on the 28th, we received our second and final snowfall of the month and followed it up with a very cold day before rebounding on the final day of the month.
Thornton saw an average temperature during April 2017 of 49.6 degrees. This was a good ways above Denver’s long term average for the month of 47.4 degrees. Out at the airport, they were cooler with an average of 48.9 degrees.
Thornton’s temperatures ranged from a maximum of 80.3 degrees on the 14th down to a low of 24.1 degrees on the morning of the 30th. Denver saw similar extremes of 79 degrees, also on the 14th, and a low of 24 degrees on the 10th.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 1.71 inches during April. Thornton was right there with the average at 1.70 inches in our rain bucket. At DIA, things were quite a bit drier with only 0.98 inches being recorded.
Snowfall lagged behind average for the month, especially at the average. Denver recorded only 2.5 inches officially while here in Thornton we came in at 5.8 inches. Once again this highlights the problems with having Denver’s official measurements kept so far from where they were taken historically and far away from population.
Click here to view Thornton’s April 2017 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT MON MAY 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 04/30/1992
LOW -2 04/02/1975
HIGHEST 79 04/14 90 -11 77 04/23
04/13 04/22
04/14
LOWEST 24 04/10 -2 26 25 04/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 63.2 61.5 1.7 59.4
AVG. MINIMUM 34.5 33.3 1.2 35.1
MEAN 48.9 47.4 1.5 47.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 1 0.3 0.7 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 15 13.0 2.0 11
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 8.24 1900
MINIMUM 0.03 1963
TOTALS 0.98 1.71 -0.73 2.56
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.06 -0.03 0.09
DAYS >= .01 10 9.1 0.9 10
DAYS >= .10 5 4.5 0.5 6
DAYS >= .50 0 0.9 -0.9 2
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.5 -0.5 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.22 04/29 TO 04/29 04/15 TO 04/16
04/16 TO 04/16
04/16 TO 04/16
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 04/16(00) TO 04/16(00)
04/16(00) TO 04/16(00)6
04/16(00) TO 04/16(00)6
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS 2.5 6.8
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 478 529 -51 526
SINCE 7/1 4803 5731 -928 5230
COOLING TOTAL 0 1 -1 0
SINCE 1/1 0 1 -1 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 04/01 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.......................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 1/121
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 44/300 DATE 04/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 56/300 DATE 04/09
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 7
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 53
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 10 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 3
LIGHT SNOW 7 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 4
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.